Susan Abbs

Her paintings leap off the walls because of their realism which is not achieved through tiny brushstrokes but through the bold, skillful handling of chiaroscuro and varied paint effects applied with palette knives. Majestic trees contrast with vast swathes of grass...cool, dark shade combines with hot, gleaming sunshine...strongly textured, tactile bark is juxtaposed with delicate, fluttering leaves and each vast scene is injected with life through a handful of subtly defined, distant, human figures.